Business Link

By Richard Marinus

Our second editorial highlighted the importance of behavioural fit in the sales role and the need to manage internal and external perceptions regarding competitiveness.

This time we focus on improving sales performance through developing sales skills and monitoring the priority and
effectiveness of the activities of your sales team.

Where do we begin?

Identify and match the training need with specific development opportunities that are likely to deliver best results.

How do we do this?

First we assess and develop a scorecard for each sales
consultant:

Current performance relative to required performance

Development capacity of each sales consultant

Job suitability and fit

Key performance contributors and detractors

Skill competencies

The scorecard will highlight the specific factors that are contributing to performance as well as those that are detracting from performance. Targeted training for improvement in sales can be implemented once we have scorecards for the team and each of its members.

Assessing and Developing Skills Competencies

Using a tool like the SSI (Sales Strategies Index) we are able to formulate an objective analysis of an individual’s understanding of the skills required to sell successfully in their specific sales environment. The SSI helps the organisation internally validate how the sales process can lead to success and highlights specific
development needs.

The SSI answers the following questions about the sales team.

Can they sell?

Do they understand the sales process?

Are they treating sales situations the way top sales people do?

Once the sales force has completed the SSI, high impact halfday or one-day training courses can be tailored and implemented to meet the specific needs of each sales person.

Prioritising and Managing Activities

Are team members ‘doing the right things right’ – are their activities delivering quality results?

Misguided perceptions and unfocused work habits cannot lead to continuous improvement in results!
“All customers are good customers!”
“I treat all my clients the same way!”
“Call rate alone drives sales!”

What is needed is a customer relationship management system that will assist you in knowing where you are going with your sales effort and why; a methodology that will analyse your current customers with regard to potential sales and not only historic sales; a means for looking at activities in the sense of what is happening instead of purely counting how much is happening; a way to identify where to invest your effort for the highest returns.

To achieve this we offer Tracer CQM, which is an expert ‘online’ system that supports sales people and their managers in monitoring, maintaining, analyzing and developing profitable business relationships with existing and new clients. The system also integrates and updates communications and responses with customers ‘on-line’ via cell-phone and computer to ensure up- todate information and results.

Richard Marinus is a Director of Skills SA. If you have any questions regarding this article, please email them to
skillssa@intekom.co.za or call him on (041) 581 7688.